Amanpuri
Encyclopedia
Amanpuri is a luxury resort located on Pansea Beach on the west coast of the island of Phuket
in Thailand
. The resort is owned by Amanresorts
. Amanpuri means "place of peace" in Sanskrit.
looking for a site upon which to build a holiday home, Adrian Zecha
was walking along Pansea Beach when he came across a coconut
plantation which occupied a prime location. Plans to build a home on the site soon developed into an idea to build a small boutique resort, in partnership with Anil Thadani and two other friends. They spent mainly their own money as no banks would lend for the project due to the small number of planned rooms, instead of the 500-room hotel they thought would be more practical. The resort was opened in 1988 at a cost of US$4 million.
The resort pioneered the concept of a small, super-exclusive resort designed to complement the location’s natural setting. The resort was designed by American architect Edward Tuttle, who took his inspiration from traditional Thai temple architecture. The design eschewed ostentation in favour of intimate luxury, which manifested itself in the absence of a reception desk, bellboys or lobby
, with accommodation provided in either individual pavilion
s or villa
s. At the time of the opening of Amanpuri these innovations were groundbreaking, and led to Amanpuri becoming one of the best known resorts in Asia
.
s of a hilly headland on the northern side of Pansea beach. Each pavilion includes a bedroom, a bathroom with separate shower and bath, an outdoor sala.
Each villa features a swimming pool, separate dining and living rooms, kitchen and 2 to 6 bedrooms.
The public facilities include two restaurants, a spa
, a library (with over 1000 books), 6 tennis court
s, a gym, a boardroom equipped for meetings, a gallery with a selection of items for purchase. These are located around a large rectangular pool.
Inglis, K: “Asian Style Hotels“. Published by Periplus Editions. ISBN 0-7946-0172-3.
Arieff, A and Burkhart, B: “Spa”. Published by Taschen. ISBN 3-8228-5890-0.
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The resort is owned by Amanresorts
Amanresorts
Amanresorts is a small luxury hotel group, located in 15 countries around the world. The word "Aman" is Urdu for "peace." It is owned by DLF Limited, India's largest real estate company.-History:...
. Amanpuri means "place of peace" in Sanskrit.
History
While in PhuketPhuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
looking for a site upon which to build a holiday home, Adrian Zecha
Adrian Zecha
Adrian Zecha is an Indonesian hotelier who is best known as the co-founder of Regent International Hotels and founder of Aman Resorts.-History:...
was walking along Pansea Beach when he came across a coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
plantation which occupied a prime location. Plans to build a home on the site soon developed into an idea to build a small boutique resort, in partnership with Anil Thadani and two other friends. They spent mainly their own money as no banks would lend for the project due to the small number of planned rooms, instead of the 500-room hotel they thought would be more practical. The resort was opened in 1988 at a cost of US$4 million.
The resort pioneered the concept of a small, super-exclusive resort designed to complement the location’s natural setting. The resort was designed by American architect Edward Tuttle, who took his inspiration from traditional Thai temple architecture. The design eschewed ostentation in favour of intimate luxury, which manifested itself in the absence of a reception desk, bellboys or lobby
Lobby (room)
A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
, with accommodation provided in either individual pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s or villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s. At the time of the opening of Amanpuri these innovations were groundbreaking, and led to Amanpuri becoming one of the best known resorts in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Facilities
The resort contains 40 pavilions and 32 villas spread over 24 hectareHectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of a hilly headland on the northern side of Pansea beach. Each pavilion includes a bedroom, a bathroom with separate shower and bath, an outdoor sala.
Each villa features a swimming pool, separate dining and living rooms, kitchen and 2 to 6 bedrooms.
The public facilities include two restaurants, a spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
, a library (with over 1000 books), 6 tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, a gym, a boardroom equipped for meetings, a gallery with a selection of items for purchase. These are located around a large rectangular pool.
Further reading
Ypma, H: “Hip Hotels - Orient“. Published by Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-28513-6.Inglis, K: “Asian Style Hotels“. Published by Periplus Editions. ISBN 0-7946-0172-3.
Arieff, A and Burkhart, B: “Spa”. Published by Taschen. ISBN 3-8228-5890-0.